A top-down isometric helicopter shoot 'em up originally for the Sega Genesis, which was later ported to a variety of platforms. It is best known for its open-ended mission design and followed by several sequels.

Overview

Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf is an isometric helicopter shoot 'em up from Electronic Arts. The player is a fighter pilot who must take down mission-critical targets across a number of maps. The player is free to pursue these missions in any order, and must also keep an eye on the fuel, damage and ammo gauges.

Story

A year after the Gulf War, General Ibn Kilbaba takes over a small Arab Emirate and plans to start World War III. Using an AH-64 Apache, the player must open the way for ground troops and finally take on the "Madman" himself.

Gameplay

The game is played from an isometric perspective in open levels that allow free movement in all directions by scrolling the screen with the movement of the helicopter. Each level consists of many varying objectives that range anywhere from destroying enemy bases and vehicles, to capturing enemy troops or rescuing friendly ones. While bases and vehicles are simply destroyed, both friendly and enemy troops must be taken back to base for extraction. The Apache AH-64 has limited room inside, so multiple trips to and from the base may be necessary These objectives aren't always linear, and can often times be tackled in whatever order the player chooses. This combination of free movement and non-linear structure separated it from many of the other shooters of that period.

There are three weapons of varying strength and usefulness available to the Apache AH-64: machine guns, hydra missiles and hellfire missiles, which increase in strength respectively. Each of these weapons has a limited number of ammo which can only be replenished by picking up ammo crates on the mission, or resupplying back at the base. Similarly, the Apache AH-64 only has a limited amount of fuel that will drain slowly over the course of each level. If the fuel runs out, the helicopter crashes and the player loses a life. Refueling works exactly the same as restocking ammo.

Lives are lost when either the Apache AH-64 takes too much damage and is destroyed, or when it runs out of fuel. After three lives have been lost, the game is over. Due to the nature of the game's freedom, each level requires a certain amount of planning and strategy in order to complete all of the objectives while still having enough fuel, ammo, and health to survive.

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